2017 EPW Featured Blogger: Catherine Zhang

After talking to my mom today, I realized I had made a mistake in my last blog post: after today, we have only 4 days left! That's wild!! 4 more days!! AHHH!! She also told me that I should spice up my writing style, so let's try something new!

5:00 AM - Phone alarm goes off, and I instinctively snooze it. Around 30 minutes later, I roll out of the top bunk (narrowly missing the low ceiling), and mosey on over to brush my teeth and put in my contacts5:45 AM - I FaceTime my roommate (who is currently roadtripping the US!) whose car just broke down and who hasn't had signal in a few days; so incredibly happy to see her!6:10 AM - I shove everything into my bag, withdraw some cash (since I ran out yesterday), and quickly head out to the bakery around the corner, where everyone is already nibbling on some pastry and get two pizza-like breads to go.6:45 AM ish - we start on the route! We walk along the side of a busy road for a while and then turn onto a dirt/gravel path. I breathe in deeply, so impressed by how clean the air is in the Ljubljana!8:00 AM- Continue winding along this road (which also happens to coincide with the Slovenian Camino!) - Now walking & talking with Theresa; the group splits into 2.9:15 AM - We make a wrong turn into a cornfield eek!9:23 AM - All is good! Continue on the path & arrows (and across a wooden plank!!)9:50 AM - A supermarket and coffee shop!! The faster group is already waiting there for us. I anxiously search for a hat since I left mine in the previous accom (to no avail :( )10:15 AM - We continue once more through roads that leads us into a village.11:30 - We see a blessed sign that says "EPWalkers welcome!" We have a drink & rest at the family owned restaurant/bar/house! The father, mother, and son heartily welcome us and gives us maps and info about the area of Slovenia we are in.12 PM - Reapply sunscreen and continue on path that opens into a large field. Donal and I talk about his life and parachuting at age 50!12:40 PM - The sun is starting to blaze and we take refuge under a tree (with snacks hehe)1:07 PM -As we continue on path, Fly realizes that we haven't seen a red arrow in awhile (not a good sign)1:15 PM - We semi-wander around looking at guidebook trying to figure out where the path winded left and then right. Eva drops her pack and runs behind to see if we missed an arrow.1:17 PM - "WAHOO!" Eva is slow motion running back to us telling us she has found the arrow and the correct direction we are towards. We walk across a field, over a metal bridge, and in between an electric fence (with cows on the other side) and nettles #rough1:36 PM - Make it out alive & Fly, Eva, and I power on the last 4.5 km, listening to music and singing.2:23 PM - WE HAVE ARRIVED IN BISTRA! God bless the EPW! (This has been the earliest I have ever arrived in an accommodation!!)

Bistra is 5 houses and a technical museum, which is the largest museum in Slovenia! Inside the museum includes cars that were presents to ex-Yugoslavian ex-dictator Tito and the works of Nikola Tesla. We stay at the Hotel Bistra, which has been recently renovated to include hotel rooms (2 years ago), and it is absolutely lovely. The rooms, the host, the dinner (and dessert that was semifreddo & prepared in their kitchen) were all absolutely amazing!! It was very hospitable and we definitely felt extremely welcomed there.

We have heard that the next days are going to be some of the hottest, so we are going to be getting up quite early tomorrow (trying to leave at 5 AM) AH! So must sleep, but first, here is a slew of pictures :)